Victoria Lynn Rowell was born on 10 May 1959, in Portland, Maine USA, to mother Dorothy Rowell of English descent, and father whose last name was Wilson, of African-American descent. She is an actress, writer, producer, activist and dancer, probably best known for her role as Drucilla Winters in the CBS soap opera “The Young and the Restless” and as Dr. Amanda Bentley in the medical crime drama “Diagnosis: Murder”.
So just how rich is Victoria Rowell? The soap opera star has earned a net worth of over $2 million, according to sources in mid-2016. Her wealth has largely been acquired through her career in the entertainment industry.
Victoria Rowell Net Worth $2 Million
Rowell was raised in a foster family by Robert and Agatha Armstead via child services, as her mother was schizophrenic. She excelled in ballet during her early childhood and received a Ford Foundation Scholarship to the Cambridge School of Ballet in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Upon matriculating from Shaw Preparatory School in Boston in 1979, she started dancing professionally with the American Ballet Theatre II, and the Julliard School of Music Dance Extension program. She later took guest artist teaching posts in New England and went on to dance at the Ballet Hispánico of New York and the Twyla Tharp Workshop. During the early ’80s she turned to modeling, appearing in various runways and catalogs.
Rowell began her acting career in 1987 in the comedy film “Leonard Part 6” and then took a recurring role as Paula in “The Cosby Show”. She went on to take another recurring role as Nella Franklin in the CBS soap opera “As the World Turns” in 1988. The following year saw Rowell as ballet dancer Drucilla Barber in the hit soap opera “The Young and the Restless”. She won rave revues for her performance, being nominated for three Daytime Emmy Awards and winning 11 NAACP Image Awards, all of which helped considerably to boost her net worth. In 2007 she left the series, calling its team racist due to them not taking more African-Americans to their cast and crew.
In the meantime, Rowell took part in another CBS series “Diagnosis: Murder”, running from 1992 to 2001. Her portrayal of Dr. Amanda Bentley enjoyed an astonishing popularity and significantly added to her wealth.
During this period, Rowell also appeared in numerous feature films, such as the Eddie Murphy romantic comedy “The Distinguished Gentleman”, crime film “Full Eclipse”, comedy “Dumb and Dumber”, action “Barb Wire” and drama “Eve’s Bayou”. She went on to appear in various small films during the 2000s and in some she also served as a producer. She took the leading role in the 2006 movie “The Home of the Brave”, playing the wife of Samuel L. Jackson’s character. She also appeared in a number of series, such as the 2011 “Single Ladies”and “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit” among other.
Aside from her acting career, Rowell has released three books, the 2008 memoirs “The Woman Who Raised Me: A Memoir”, the 2010 “The Secrets of a Soap Opera Diva: A Novel” and the 2013 “The Young and the Ruthless: Back in the Bubbles”. She was also a co-author of Paul Tukey’s 2012 book “Tag, Toss & Run: 40 Classic Lawn Games” – all added somewhat to her net worth.
Speaking about her personal life, Rowell married Tom Fahey in 1989, but they divorced the following year but having a daughter together. She then began a relationship with musician Wynton Marsalis with whom she has a son. After that relationship came to an end, Rowell married Radcliffe Bailey in 2009, however, in 2014 Bailey filed for divorce.
Rowell has been active in advocacy work aimed at helping children in the foster-care system through her organization “Rowell Foster Children Positive Plan” which she founded in 1990. In recognition for her support of foster children the University of South Maine awarded her an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters, and she later received the Gift of Adoption Celebration of Adoption Award. She is also a chairperson of Foster Youth Connection in LA, agitates in Washington for the Welfare League of America and is involved in United Way, the Departments of Social Services in several states as well as in the Women’s Physical Abuse Center in Bermuda.
In 2015 Rowell filed a lawsuit against CBS, Sony Pictures Television and “The Young and the Restless” cast and crew for racist behavior, claiming that she hasn’t been given a chance to return to the series because she has been outspoken about the lack of African-Americans’ involvement in the series. Her website dru4diversity deals with the details on her fight for re-employment in the series.
